An internship is about more than work experience or network building – it could be the ticket to your dream job!
Many organisations large and small offer internships of varying lengths for undergrad students. They’re a great way to gain work experience before you graduate, find mentors, build up your network – and they could be a foot in the door to a full-time job at a dream employer!
We’ve compiled a list of 5 grad profiles who all scored full-time jobs following on from their internships:
1. Sophie Gardner
UX Designer, Google
For Sophie, UX Design offers the perfect blend of creativity, sociology and technology.Sophie completed five internships during and after her degree (Bachelor of Design Computing at the University of Sydney), including two in UX design at Google.
“The industry definitely felt vast and confusing when I was at school, but once I got my first internship [at Google] a lot of things became clearer,” she says.
TIP: Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions during your internship. Think of it like an extended two-way job interview!
2. Troy Poulter
Software engineer, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Troy Poulter,Software Engineer. Image: Lauren Trompp
Troy enrolled in a Bachelor of Information Technology Co-Op degree at University of Technology Sydney (UTS), because he liked the practical component promised via two six-month internships.
His first internship at Commonwealth Bank (CBA) saw him working on a project to improve NetBank, the bank’s online banking website. This led to an additional six-month contract with the bank as a business analyst and then a full-time graduate role in 2018. Troy is now a senior software engineer at the bank.
Meet more CBA engineering grads here
TIP: If you want to turn your internship into a full-time job, look for companies that you know are hiring. For example, the CBA recently announced plans to hire more than 600 new engineers over just a few months!
3. Madhuri Ranjan
Paint Chemist, Dulux
Madhuri’s risen up the ranks at Dulux; from interning and a summer scholarship program sponsored by Dulux, to becoming a fully fledged paint chemist – also known as a developmental chemist.When Madhuri Ranjan began her degree in pharmaceutical science at Monash University in Melbourne, she had a pretty limited idea of the careers she could pursue.
Then she stumbled upon a Dulux internship among the same old offers from cosmetic companies and pharmaceutical giants and it felt like a breath of fresh air, she says. Madhuri applied for the internship, sat the interview and landed a spot in their internship program.
Since then, Madhuri’s risen up the ranks at Dulux; from interning and a summer scholarship program sponsored by Dulux, to becoming a fully fledged paint chemist – also known as a developmental chemist.
Read Madhuri’s full profile here
TIP: During your internship, prove you are a dependable, hard working employee! That means arriving on time, meeting deadlines and being professional.
4. Taylah Griffin
Aircraft engineer, Boeing Defence Australia
Taylah scored the Boeing gig after a summer internship with the company during her final year of uni.Taylah relocated from small town Gordonvale – near Cairns in far-north Queensland – to study engineering at QUT in Brisbane.
She completed a summer internship with Boeing Defence Australia during her final year, which turned into a full-time gig as a systems engineer, aka dream job, spending 9 to 5 with top-end military aircraft.
Read Taylah’s full profile here
TIP: Make sure you choose an internship and company that is the right fit, and don’t be afraid to seek out your dream company and see if they’re hiring interns, even if they haven’t advertised!
5. Shahriar Khan
Network technology specialist, Telstra
After graduation, Shahriar completed two six-month internships.Shahriar moved from Dhaka to Melbourne when he was 17 and signed up for a degree in electrical and computer systems engineering at Monash University. After graduation, Shahriar completed two six-month internships, before returning to Monash to work as a lecturer while completing a Masters in Advanced Electrical Engineering.
One of those internships was at Telstra working in network engineering, which he eventually followed up with a 12-month graduate role followed by his current position as a network technology specialist.
“My current role involves building dashboards for data analytics and visualisation of our operating environment,” he explains.
Read Shahriar’s full profile here
TIP: Turning an internship into a full-time job doesn’t have to happen consecutively. Like Shahriar, you might find a different job or pursue further studies after your internship, but that doesn’t mean the door is closed. All that networking and good impressions still counts!
Author: Gemma Chilton
Gemma is an author and editor and past Managing Editor of Careers with STEM magazine. She has previously worked as Digital Managing Editor at Australian Geographic and a staff writer at Cosmos science magazine.
